Royals slip past Twins in extras for 4-3 win

Billy Burns lined a fly ball to centerfield with one out and the bases loaded in the bottom of the eleventh to score Raul Mondesi to win the game 4-3 over the Minnesota Twins. Mondesi had led the inning off with a walk, and stole second on a delayed steal. The Twins then walked Whit Merrifield, with the last pitch being an intentional ball, then walked Eric Hosmer intentionally to load the bases and bring up Burns.

The Twins got on the board first early in the game with an RBI double by catcher Juan Centeno to drive home Eduardo Escobar in the second off Ian Kennedy. Escobar would score again with a mammoth solo home run in the fourth to make it 2-0 Twins. The Royals would tie it up in the bottom of the inning when Jarrod Dyson led off with a walk and Whit Merrifield doubled. Eric Hosmer would bring home one run with a single, and Kendryrs Morales would drive in another on a fielder’s choice to tie the game at 2-2.

The two teams would trade runs again in the fifth with Max Kepler knocking home a run in the top half of the inning, and Jarrod Dyson driving home a runner in the bottom half. Ian Kennedy, who labored much of the game, would exit after that frame with just five innings pitched, three runs allowed on five hits, with three walks and five strikeouts.

After Kelvin Herrera worked out of a two-walk jam in the top of the eighth, the Royals had a prime opportunity to take the lead in the bottom of the inning. Cheslor Cuthbert led off the inning with a single, and was replaced by pinch-runner extraordinaire Terrance Gore. Gore stole second, and while Jarrod Dyson was unable to get a bunt down, Gore was able to steal third on his own. With one out, Whit Merrifield came up with a drawn-in infield, needing only a ground ball or a deep fly ball to give the Royals the lead. Instead, Merrifield bunted, with Gore running on contact, and popped it right to first baseman James Beresford, who caught it and easily threw it to third for the final out.

The Royals are now 14-3 against the Minnesota Twins this year, and improve to 80-77. With Baltimore losing tonight, the Royals are still technically alive for a post-season spot for one more day. While a post-season appearance seems unlikely, it is nice to see this team fight back and get their ninth walk-off victory of the year and inch closer to their fourth straight winning season.